Abortion opponents Ron Nederhoed, center, and Ashley Sigrest, right, argue with the Jackson Women's Health Organization's administrator Shannon Brewer, right, over the opponent's trespassing onto the property of Mississippi's only abortion clinic in Jackson, Miss., Monday, July 2, 2012, after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Sunday, that blocked enforcement of a law that could regulate the clinic out of business. The law would require any physician doing abortions at the clinic to be an OB-GYN with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

A federal judge on Wednesday continued to block a state law that threatened to shut down Mississippi's only abortion clinic and make it nearly impossible for a woman to get the procedure in the state.

U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III temporarily blocked the law July 1 and extended that order Wednesday, though he did not say when he would rule on the clinic's request to put the law on hold for a longer period. If he grants that request, the case eventually would go to trial.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can't place undue burdens or substantial obstacles to women seeking abortion. The state law would require anyone performing clinic abortions to be an OB-GYN with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital.

The doctors at the clinic in Jackson do not have those privileges, which the clinic has said aren't necessary.

Supporters of the law said it's designed to protect patients, and Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has said he hopes it will help make Mississippi "abortion-free."

The clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, said it has been unable to obtain admitting privileges for its two out-of-state OB-GYNs because local hospitals have not responded to their requests.

The clinic said it would face "irreparable harm" if the law were to be enforced because hospitals haven't said when - or if - they'll consider the privileges.

"If they're denied or if the hospitals are dragging their feet, that's going to be more clear evidence that there's a substantial obstacle" to an abortion, clinic attorney Robert McDuff said.

The state attorney general's office declined to comment after the hearing.

The law was passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature. When Bryant signed it in April, he said, "If it closes that clinic, then so be it."

Terri Herring of the Pro Life America Network lobbied for the law and attended the court hearing. After the judge's decision, Herring said the hospitals should deny admitting privileges for the abortion clinic's doctors.

The clinic uses out-of-state physicians because in-state physicians generally don't want to face the social pressure of having protesters at their offices, homes or churches, clinic employees say.